To Have a Cold Heart Implies One Has a Heart
by Thunderscourge
Summary: AU. Side story to "A Misled Lamb". Doctor Penelope Young searches for Mister Freeze, Victor Fries, for help with a sensitive issue and recruits Riddler, Edward Nigma, to help her find him. Takes place after Arkham Asylum. Heavily implied Jonathan Crane X Penelope Young, the character in the story picture is Penelope, and Batman X Catwoman mentioned.


Hello readers, this is a side story to my story "A Misled Lamb" that takes place in the far future of my story as well as after the game my story is based around, Arkham Asylum. This story is _completely_ AU and has no canon segments to it whatsoever. This is my official announcement that while "A Misled Lamb" will remain mostly truthful to the game and the series, I _will_ be changing some things to make this my own series and not a retelling of events in the games. This overall project has evolved greatly from when I started it last August, and I am celebrating the 50th chapter with this side story.

This contains pretty big spoilers for my main story, but at the same time it does not contain any that I have not hinted at in the story itself. Everything minor alluded to or mentioned in the story can play so be warned!

The special thanks for this go to Bashlei, Black391, Yuna Honey, Me-Ladie, Jason rulz Death, PabloPaul, AceMate, LicoriceWolf, Quelara, DarknessinShadows, Rio Voltaire, Lady Ano, Cherry Ripe, Brenediction, 9aza, Seven-of-Storms and Anii for all the support you have given through your reviews. Furthermore, thanks to Bashlei, Black391, Destiny Xavier16, Fact1-I-Hate-You, forgetmenotflowers, Homunculus7SIN, licoricewolf, M. Night Wolfalona, mjlaub, Quelara, Rio Voltaire, Sango1316, Vandgard and Yuna Honey for adding it to your favorites list! And lastly, special thanks to 9aza, AceMate, Acyrotin, Bandit-sama, Bashlei, Black391, Contradiction Queen, DarknessinShadows, dragonofdarknedflame, humamoodring, Lady Ano, licoricewolf, M. Night. Wolfalona, me-ladie, mjlaub, Rio Voltaire and Sango1316 for adding it to your watch list!

I hope everyone enjoys, and happy 50th chapter and bonus! And before I forget, thank you all the readers out there who have enjoyed this story and I hope you continue doing so as the second half of the story begins!

P.S. This story will reference things that have not happened as of chapter 50, or even will be in "A Misled Lamb" throughout its entirety, so I am leaving it up to you guys to imagine what you think has been going on in the considerable time skip! Have fun!

* * *

In the Gotham City Police department sat a man horribly out of dress code, not a single piece of a uniform to be found anywhere in his office. Dress code implied a level of conformity, which was something that the man was never fond of. Why should he, the amazingly brilliant Edward Nigma have to be seen as a part of the other imbeciles he worked alongside? When the entire floor of people you found yourself working with thought at a collective level lower than you, shouldn't you be considered above them?

The Riddler sat with his legs up on his desk, his feet laying on top of perfectly completed Sudoku and word puzzles that he did whenever he felt bored talking with someone else in the office. They kept his mind sharp to a degree, but he missed the constant mind-brightening task of making riddles. He kept a few in his head now and then for the occasional visit by his old friend Batman, but the brooding dark knight just seemed to ignore them now that peoples lives were not in danger every time they saw one another.

Another member of the police force, a lowly cop and not a detective like the Riddler, walked up to the man in green and placed a set of folders on the belligerent man's desk, "Eddie, we have some more things for you to look at. Could you have them done by the end of the day?"

"How about lunch? Lunch sounds like a good time. Now go away, work to do and people to save and all that stuff."

They gave him extremely hard things to look at, codes to crack and other things that they would otherwise have to consult specialists on. That was why they hired him when they realized he was done with crime. After a certain incident it was public knowledge that the Riddler was out of commission for doing evil deeds, and he had been hired by the police to keep him on a leash. If not constrained they may still have ended up butting heads with him whenever he decided to crash their computer systems for fun with no evil intent but rather just to do something now that he was not committing murderous acts. He was not being paid for the job, his payment being the forgiveness for the things he had done wrong. One instance and he would be sent back to the newly restored Arkham Asylum, an idea that held bittersweet memories for Eddie. Having his amazing intellect allowed Eddie to get money through card counting poker games and other underhanded ways, so he was not starved financially.

It took the mad genius less than an hour to accomplish the tasks set before him, with multiple hours still until his lunch break. The problem with being at his level of intelligence was that even the hardest cases took him less than a day to complete, and his coworkers had noticed that he could solve their medium difficulty ones in less than a half hour.

What made Riddler's day was when a visitor arrived and asked where to find the famous man of ice.

Perking up from the slouched position he had been in, Edward beamed in glee at his visitor, "Penelope! It's been a long time since I've seen you. How have you been?"

The former doctor at Arkham had a grim look on her face, a stark contrast to the now happy one of the detective, "Hello Eddie. Do you know where I can find Victor Fries? It's kind of urgent."

Edward looked around himself to find a chair and saw one in the empty office across from him. He pointed to it as he responded, "Not currently I don't, but pull yourself up a chair and let's talk! I can multitask without reducing efficiency."

Penelope's face grew sterner, "Eddie, this is really important-"

The look she was giving him gave him the impression that this was not some social visit to the man who had helped her out of a rough spot awhile back, "How important?"

The first time they met Edward made a horrible joke about dismembering a small child, noting that since it wasn't his child he could talk about it in such a sick manner. A different Edward was the one that replied to what the nearly hysterical woman before him said.

"Oh…oh my. Give me a minute and I'll have you your destination. I'll come too, insurance in a way. The can handle not having me around here for awhile."

* * *

"It would be n your best interests to leave this place before you irritate me further. How did you locate me, Nigma?"

Edward held his hands up mockingly, the freeze gun pointed at his head not scaring him in the slightest, "Coldest spot in Gotham, not hard to find. Come on Freeze, put the gun down. Penelope here needs your help, isn't that right?"

Penelope and Edward had quickly found Freeze's lair, but a warm welcome was not becoming of the icey villain who they sought.

Penelope tried to explain what the problem she was having was but was cut off before she could even formulate a full sentence, "Victor, please, I-"

The freeze gun shifted from being pointed at the Riddler to being pointed at Young, "What reason do I have to help you when I could be helping my wife?"

"I…I don't know," reaching into her pocket, she retrieved a photograph and held it out for the tall cyborg before her to see, as unafraid of the freeze gun as Nigma was. She had something more important to her than her own safety to deal with, "I just know that I don't want to lose him. I don't think I could take it. I'll do anything, but please just save him. He's only two weeks old!"

Realizing the picture to be a deathly sick infant, Fries felt his cold façade begin to melt. Losing anyone close to you to pestilence is a tragedy that should not be allowed to happen, one he had suffered and was still suffering from. He now lowered his freeze gun and relented, "What is ailing the child?"

Penelope spoke quickly, her voice full of panic, "He has a severe heart palpitation that has unknown causes. He's not supposed to live more than the rest of the month and I don't know who else to turn to. Freeze him until there is a cure or whatever it is that you think is best, but please just help him!"

Fries nodded, "Does his father suffer from any heart conditions that you know of? His family?"

Penelope blushed and looked at the ground, "I…no, not that I know of."

Fries looked again at the picture. He knew that Nora would be pleased that he was willing to help someone from suffering his tragedy. She always had had a kind heart that made her more of an angel than a human being, and in her memory Victor vowed to help this child, "That might narrow the list some, but I will require full medical histories of you and the infant's father."

Penelope continued to look at the floor, her mouth open like she was going to say something but her mind blanking on what to say. She did not feel comfortable mentioning the father to anyone, but she knew it might be vital to save her baby.

Before she could muster the courage to say it out loud Fries spoke reassuringly, "It was obvious the moment you came in. You do not need to explain, nor feel bad. You two had a bond, and any details are for you two only. Think of this as doctor-patient confidentiality."

Nigma placed a hand on the psychologist's shoulder and gave a sad smile, "And I won't be telling anyone either. I think it's best that no-one knows either."

Penelope glanced up at the two of them and found it within her to smile, albeit in a sad fashion like Edward, "Thank you so much for this you two. This means everything to me."

Fries looked at her with some pity through his goggles, "You are welcome doctor Young. I must extend my condolences however given the current situation as well as-"

Penelope shook her head, "Jonathan died that night. Even if I find him, he won't be the same. He's insane now and there is no changing that. That doesn't change what I do have right now, and I am grateful for having my son."

Victor appreciated that the woman had a sense of reality. Taking the picture from Penelope, he looked at the pale child sorrowfully, "I can not assure any results nor the continued search for a cure on my part, but I will say that I will make sure nothing happens to him during my watch."

Edward piped up again, "I might as well lend my help as well. I owe you one for vouching on my behalf to the police," jokingly he referenced their first conversation where he talked about a cut up child, "Even if it isn't my baby."

Ignoring the green clad man's reference, Penelope spoke to Victor, "Fries…there is something I think you should look into. It may be nothing, but I was experiencing fear gas on a regular basis when I conceived him. And high dosages of it too. Could that have caused whatever is wrong with him?"

This information interested Victor, for it might shorten the testing period for issues and thus make his job simpler, "That very well may be the problem. I will look into it more later. Could you bring your child here as soon as you could so I can do my tests?"

Penelope nodded and began to head for the exit hurriedly, "Of course. I will be right back!"

Freeze turned back to Nigma, who made no motion to leave, "You're not going too?"

Edward shrugged, "No, I thought I might stay and speak to you about a recent development. Victor, do you plan on taking me up on that job offer Bruce Wayne gave you?"

"Unlimited resources and assistants who know what they are doing, with the condition that I refrain from criminal acts? Wayne drives a hard bargain. I suppose a thank you would be in order given what Wayne is offering me. I will be sure to send one to the Batman the next time I see him."

"I would say 'who knew that the playboy millionaire was a grim vigilante', but that who would be me. And Jonathan. I am almost thankful for that prick Wayne though. Along with Penelope he vouched for me when I announced I was going to abide by the law."

Fries spoke dryly, but gratitude was still hinted in his voice, "He seems to be noticing that if he can't beat us permanently, he might as well recruit us for the saving of this city. Or in one particular case, marry us."

The Riddler laughed, "I know, right? Selina got lucky. Not only did she get the Batman, but she got Bruce Wayne as part of the deal!" his mind returning back to the subject at hand, Riddler asked the towering man a serious question, "So Victor, you doing this for Young, for yourself, or for Nora?"

"All three. I pity where Young has found herself, I personally will feel better given that this is what Nora would want, and as stated already it is what Nora would want."

"You are a work of art Fries. You're made of ice but you have a blazing heart when you want to."

"I do not appreciate the weak attempt at humor."

Nigma hastily headed for the door and waved on his way out, "Well before you kill me I guess I better get back to my job. Imbeciles probably noticed I'm gone by now. See you later snowman!"

Left alone with the picture from before, Fries shook his head in disbelief as the bowler hat wearing man exited, "How no-one murdered that man yet amazes me."

* * *

A/N: I am pretty sure that some of you are wondering at this point "Holy cow, what happens to bring about this?" Don't worry. All shall be revealed in due time! There are 50 chapters of "A Misled Lamb" to go and I promise it will all make sense to you in due time. Hope you enjoyed this preview of what is to come in my planned sequels to the main story!


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